Quakertown, PA

Your new tattoo NEEDS YOU to help it heal and stay beautiful today and everyday!

There is no “ONE WAY” to care for a tattoo. It varies based on each individual body type and the way in which the body heals itself. Lifestyle is extremely impactful on healing a tattoo. So we suggest taking your multi-vitamin (if you take one), eating healthy (your fruits and veggies) and getting a good night’s sleep!

It is normal to experience some pain, burning, stinging, redness, swelling, seeping fluid, and tightness of skin within the first 7-10 days of getting a tattoo. However depending on health, environment, body part, size and amount of tattoo work done, that time can be shorter, or longer! For example, feet can easily take longer due to movement, rubbing against socks/shoes/sandals, and the natural flow of the body’s blood and lymph systems. Pay attention to your body and what it needs. If you have a question or concern, contact us immediately! Waiting a day or two can make a big difference!

It is extremely important to follow the aftercare instructions your artist has given you. ALWAYS consult with your artist prior to changing the instructions or trying something different that you’ve read on the internet or heard from a family/friend/other artist/etc. Your artist is a professional who knows what you are going through, and how to help you if needed.

What not to do:

ALWAYS wash your hands BEFORE and AFTER touching your tattoo! A tattoo is like an open wound, so you want to keep it clean and becoming dry and scabby. Moisture and air is necessary in the body’s healing process!

Wash your tattoo once daily with an anti-microbial soap. Additionally, wash your tattoo if it gets dirty or after work/exercise/activities that produce sweating. Washing the tattoo excessively will not help it to heal faster, alternatively it could actually delay healing!

If your tattoo is currently covered with a dermal wrap, scroll to the bottom of page for removal instructions.

Wash your tattoo LAST when showering. Your tattoo should feel smooth after washing it. If it feels slick/slimy/gooey gently apply pressure and rinse until it feels closer to normal.

Upon exiting the shower, DO NOT dry your fresh tattoo with your towel. Pat dry with a clean paper towel and allow tattoo to air dry for 3-5min prior to applying ointment.

Apply a light coat of tattoo aftercare ointment 3-5 times daily. It will differ for each individual body. It’s important to not use too much ointment as it will clog pores and potentially cause a breakout.

It’s also important to not use too little, as drying out will cause scabbing, cracking and possible bleeding of the tattoo and may cause permanent damage to the tattoo.

A rule of thumb, when your tattoo feels tight and dry like a sunburn, apply a light coat of aftercare ointment. If the tattoo is appearing soft or gooey, use less aftercare ointment less frequently.

As the tattoo begins the healing process it may itch, flake, peel or scab. DO NOT itch, pick, scratch, scrub, rub, or exfoliate the tattoo as that could lead to scarring, bleeding, and further damage to the tattoo.

Closely follow this procedure minimunly for the first 2-3 weeks of healing. You may be able to decrease the amount of times you apply ointment based on how quickly you heal. You know your body, use less or more as it needs. It takes 4-8 weeks for a tattoo to heal. Once the tattoo appears healed, there are still some healing processes going on underneath the tattoo. We suggest using a natural fragrance free lotion on the tattoo to keep the skin moisturized, looking and feeling good.

DO NOT touch tattoo with dirty hands, towels or clothing.

DO NOT let the tattoo dry out.

DO NOT oversaturate with ointment.

DO NOT soak in bath or hot tub

DO NOT go swimming (pool or ocean) for 4-6 weeks.

DO NOT use Neosporin.

DO NOT wash with scented soaps or body washes.

DO NOT expose to direct sunlight or tanning.

DO NOT use sun block on a healing tattoo! (After healing ALWAYS use sunblock on your tattoos!)

We have noticed on a few clients once the dermal wrap was removed within 1-3 days a small itchy rash will develop AROUND the tattoo but not ON the tattoo itself. It tends to happen when the pores of the skin are more open, and are exposed to more of the adhesive OR if there is an allergy to the adhesive. Therefore, we suggest removing the dermal wrap prior to any activity or exercise that will cause sweating. If a rash does occur, DO NOT SCRATCH it, just continue to care for your tattoo as normal and wash the rash with the anti-microbial soap once daily until gone.

Dermal wrap and exercise:

We use a dermal wrap as an initial healing wrap on all our tattoos. What is a dermal wrap? It’s a thin medical grade adhesive wrap that creates a bacterial barrier which eliminates contamination of the tattoo area and promotes quicker healing.

If you have ONLY AN OUTLINE OR LETTERING: Keep the dermal wrap on for 12hours.

Dermal Wrap Aftercare Instructions

Your body is not seeping much fluid and the tattoo underneath is dry, and not moisturized by fluid.

The wrap has “Sprung a Leak", the fluid is not remaining trapped under the wrap to moisturize the tattoo and it's getting dry and irritated.

The skin underneath and/or around the tattoo appears red, raised or irritated.

The skin around the tattoo is becoming itchy while the dermal wrap is still on.

The reasons for which you should remove the dermal wrap early are as follows:

To remove the dermal wrap:

The best method to remove the derma wrap is in the shower. Removing the dermal wrap should be the LAST thing you do before exiting the shower. Complete all your normal shower activities and cleaning BEFORE removing the wrap.

Allow warm water to saturate around the wrap. Then remove the wrap by gently pulling the wrap down and away from your body with the wrap and tattoo

Continue to care for your tattoo by following the tattoo aftercare instructions listed above. If you have any questions or concerns about the healing of your tattoo, please COME INTO the shop. It’s helpful to see your question/concern IN PERSON, we’ll be able to more effectively help you!

For ALL OTHER TATTOOS: Keep the dermal wrap on for 12-24hours. Leaving the dermal wrap on for 24 hours will provide the best results as long as the tattoo continues to be producing fluid or not dry.

under the shower water. Slow and steady pulling will remove the wrap without damage to your skin or your tattoo. Now that your tattoo is exposed, before exiting the shower, wash your tattoo with an anti-microbial soap. Rinse the tattoo well by allowing the shower water to run over it for several minutes.

Upon exiting the shower, DO NOT dry your fresh tattoo with your towel. Use a clean piece of paper towel and gently PAT DRY your tattoo. Allow your tattoo to air dry for several minutes and then apply a thin layer of the tattoo ointment aftercare you purchased.

We have noticed on a few clients once the dermal wrap was removed within 1-3 days a small itchy rash will develop AROUND the tattoo but not ON the tattoo itself. It tends to happen when the pores of the skin are more open, and are exposed to more of the adhesive or there is an allergic reaction to the adhesive. Therefore, we suggest removing the dermal wrap prior to any activity or exercise that will cause sweating. If a rash does occur, DO NOT SCRATCH it, just continue to care for your tattoo as normal and wash the rash with the anti-microbial soap once daily until gone.